Just Putting It All Out There

Today, as I'm thinking through the 500 for $500,000 campaign that we are currently in the midst of here at First Glance, I'm feeling a little reflective. I'm going to be honest and maybe even a little vulnerable.

For me, asking people for money is hard. I can write grants or call businesses all day long, but when things get personal, at a one-on-one level, I get nervous. I don't want to overstep boundaries or put someone out. I can always justify in my head why someone wouldn't want/need to give.

Part of this, I think, stems from my own personal struggle with giving. When I first started earning my own money, I gave to the church but mostly out of obligation. And I always hated sermons on tithing. Not sure if I felt guilty or maybe just distrusted the church, but I guess I didn't know exactly what it takes to run a nonprofit organization. (I know now, and believe me—it takes a lot.)

My last year of college, I started going to a church that I adored. They were very open about finances, and I was older and a little more understanding. I never minded discussing giving there. I loved the people, the pastor, and what the church stood for, which led me to actually WANT to give versus just doing so out of obligation.

It seemed that I was somewhat overcoming the struggle of giving when I was introduced to the struggle of having to ask other people for money. It is very humbling and more difficult that I thought when I took this job. Honestly, I thought I would do more impersonal asking—businesses, churches, mass groups of people, etc. But I soon learned that personally asking individuals was a lot more productive.

Then Noelle (the executive director) mentioned to me how she approached fundraising. She said that by asking people to give, she was giving them the opportunity to be a part of God's work here at First Glance. It is a privilege to be able to give, knowing that God is using those gifts to change the lives of people in this community. Hungry kids are being fed. Students whose parents could care less about them are being loved, so why wouldn't people want to be a part of that?

I try to remember this as I give now, be it to First Glance or a church or to a friend looking to go into mission work. I should not worry about my money or where it is going, but be thankful that God is giving me such an easy way be a part of His work.

I truly believe that you can "bear good fruit" just by being willing to write someone a check. When you give to an organization like First Glance, you ARE adding to God's kingdom. You ARE affecting lives for eternity.

So Facebook friends and family members, be warned. Even as I work through what it means to give in my own life, I will be asking you to do the same. I will be asking you to join me in seeing that giving is a privilege.

Now campaign plug: If you would like a place to begin giving or even give a little extra, First Glance is a great place to start. We are in the middle of a campaign to raise $500,000 that will cover a large portion of our expenses for THREE YEARS! (3 years. Seriously. Long time.) By reaching our goal, we will be able to focus more on the ministry and worry less about raising the needed funds. We are encouraging 500 people to commit just $28 a month (less than $1 a day, except non-leap year Februarys where it would equal $1/day. haha), but any amount is incredibly helpful. Plus, by giving you WILL be adding to His kingdom! (FOUR students became believers just in the 8 weeks I was gone for maternity leave!!)

http://firstglance.org/support

It Always Happens...

It's been a running joke around the office that many of the times I leave the office, be it vacation, a seminar, maternity leave, etc, some form of a substantial donation comes in.

For instance:

Last year I went home to Georgia, and the day I left, I got a call from Noelle telling us we had been awarded $25,000 by the GAR. And though the GAR had been consistently funding us in the previous years, I was still pretty nervous about it. (Foundations who tend to support a particular organization annually will often take a break from support for a year here or there to ensure that the organization can survive without them. I had feared this would happen to us last year.)

Then while on Christmas vacation, we received numerous one-time donations from individuals. Great encouragement to complete 2012!

My next substantial break was my maternity leave. Because I knew I would be gone from the office for so long, I worked really hard to crank out a lot of grants to make up for my time away. We had received one grant before I left, but I had sent out 20.

So because of the pattern that had obviously been previously established, I was hopeful for my leave that we would received answers from several grants. And the tradition held true. The GAR again awarded us funds for the year, the Ronald McDonald House Charities awarded us funds for equipment for the students, another small grant came in, and we were rewarded our full asking amount from a Teen Moms grant.

Why does this happen? Honestly, I think God is trying to remind me who is really in charge of First Glance's finances. Even though I do work to get these grants out of the door, He is the one who opens the hearts of the funders and individuals. He sustains this organization.

So maybe I should leave more often? I do have another trip to Georgia planned for the end of this month...I guess we'll see what happens!

Growth All Around

First Glance exists in the Kenmore community because a need for First Glance exists in the community.  Best evidence of this: the 70% growth in number of students attending First Glance weekly in 2012. Last year, First Glance saw an average of 597 students each week, whereas in 2011, the average was 352. More and more students are coming, and we are seeing more and more needs desperate to be met.

Growth in our student base always brings about growth in other areas as well.

• As more needs became apparent, several programs were added to meet these needs.
• All programs saw growth in 2012. Some grew substantially in the number of students, some in volunteers, and some in both.
• With more students, more space becomes a necessity, and we therefore began an extension of our previous capital campaign, calling this one Explosion: Phase II.necessary
• It became imparative to fill new staff positions as the organization, so two interns and a business director were added.
• And to top it all off, we saw more spiritual growth and salvations in 2012 than ever before in the life of this ministry!

And now 2013 is already looking to be another year of considerable growth as well! We feel so blessed, and we truly believe that God has great plans for this organization for this year and the ones to come. 

In 2012, God provided, opening up the hearts of the people, businesses, and foundations of this city, and though at times things may have been tight, we always had enough to meet the students' needs. We know God will continue to provide in 2013, but we also know that we must do our part, step out of our comfort zone, and really pursue even more avenues for funding.

If you would like to be a part of this mission, whether that be through prayer, volunteering, or financial support, we would LOVE to have you! We would love to see you blessed by what God is doing here. Please see the "Ways to Get Involved" side tab for more information.